Discovering Numerous Options
- By Ralph C. Jensen
- Jan 01, 2015
When the Stanley Security staff wants to make an impression
from the integrator to end user, it relies on the hard-hitting,
well-versed security team at its Indianapolis Discovery Center.
The Discovery Center is home to not only Stanley products
and solutions, but a host of partner products that can all come together
to serve various verticals in the industry.
“We also host security symposiums at this location, bringing people into
the Discovery Center so they can get a flavor of what we do,” said Vincent M.
Wenos, vice president of product development and technology at Stanley Security.
“There are a huge number of people that come here and take advantage
of the educational opportunities.”
Some of the visitors at the Discovery Center are the company’s own field
technicians, who work in many different verticals.
An introduction to the Discovery Center includes an introduction to security
in healthcare, higher education and K-12, finance, government and retail.
The products and solutions on display are all part of the Stanley Security
global security mission, not only for the company, but also for the organization’s
trusted partners.
“We believe the Stanley Security brand stands for quality, reliability and
durability in the eyes of our customers,” Wenos said. “We select our partners
carefully to ensure that they deliver products and solutions that enhance our
brand image as well as their own.”
One of the Stanley Security partners is EyeLock. Integrators faced the
challenge of access control at the Southern College of Optometry in Memphis,
Tenn., and entrances to its Advanced Procedures Theater and Digital
Observatory. This facility houses hundreds of thousands of dollars in advanced
technology. Company integrators brought in EyeLock, an iris biometric
technology for quick entry into this state-of-the-art facility. Integrators
maintained that it gave the college another layer of security by eliminating
keys or proxy badges that could be lost or stolen.
“Our technicians are critical to our company’s success,” said Jim Cannon,
President of Security – North America and Emerging Markets for Stanley
Security. “They are in front of our customers day and night, addressing concerns,
fielding questions and, in many cases, securing new business. We are
committed to equipping them with the tools they need to provide world-class
service to our customers.”
Stanley integrators jumped at the chance two years ago to introduce
EyeLock to the Southern College of Optometry, and the university wanted security to match its own high standards
and advanced technology incorporated
throughout the entire
facility. EyeLock is known for its
patented iris identity authentication
technology, which converts a
person’s iris characteristics to an
encrypted code unique to only that
person, matching the code to the individual’s
eyes for access.
It seems only right that an advanced
iris technology would serve
as the access control application at
an optometry school.
Southern College is one of the
nation’s leading universities of optometric
education. The Eye Center
is the focal point for faculty, and for
students to learn and practice optometry.
It is a clinically advanced
vision and eye care center. Security
was paramount, as optometric and
medical physicians train interns and
residents in a manner not available in
any other program today.
Responding to the college’s needs,
company integrators provided a
more advanced means of securing
the center. Technicians installed iris
biometric identity authentication
(EyeSwipe-Nano) door access units
on two floors of the Advanced Procedures
Theater and Digital Observatory,
which controls admission to
select providers, students, interns
and residents.
If you’re not supposed to be there,
you will not gain access.
A trial run of the EyeSwipe-Nano
was installed in the facility’s security
office. Additional units were placed
outside the surgery suite, outside the
observation room overseeing the surgery
suite and outside of a classroom.
Integrators provided a seamless
install, all without hindering operations
in high-traffic areas. They also
provided one-on-one training on
the enrollment process so new users
might be added.
“We were impressed by the
EyeLock technology,” said Ken Coble,
director of campus safety and
security at Southern College of Optometry.
“It is easy to use, provides
unmatched levels of security to protect
our critical assets and seamlessly
integrates with our Open Options
access control system.”
Training is a key asset in the Stanley
system, and the integrators play a
significant role with the company’s
sales engineers.
“We offer training to our sales engineers
and those engineers working
on Tier 1 and Tier 2 projects,” said
Bob Stockwell, CTO at Stanley Security.
“We also provide training to
our branch engineers, training and
certification for our technicians, and
we also leverage training from various
vendors.”
Stanley techs also receive IT
training, but are still able to support
any legacy system in place. Because
the technicians have an IT background
and training, they are able to
jump into the IT world to quickly assist
an end user who has the desire to
migrate to the IP platform.
End users often want to install IP
video surveillance products and get
the latest technology in the security
space. Another Stanley end user that
finds itself searching for the right
platform and equipment to install is
located at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in
Indianapolis.
The NBA’s Indiana Pacers use
Bankers Life Fieldhouse for their
home games. Security is top of mind
for John Ball, who is the director of
building safety and security. He has
been a Stanley Security end user for nearly the past six years.
“Right now, we have a mix of cutting-edge technology
and legacy systems,” Ball said. “The analog
cameras are still doing their job, but once they falter,
they are replaced with an IP camera. We also have
installed iris readers for more secure areas of the
fieldhouse, finger print readers to other secure areas,
all positioned on Stanley’s Commander platform.”
Ball has a lot to keep secure, and while the Pacers
players aren’t his responsibility, those multimillion
dollar assets are part of the overall picture.
Security and technology are part of what Ball has
to manage.
“There is no way I can be an expert on the new
technology,” Ball said. “I rely heavily on our Stanley
integrators to inform me and keep me up-todate
on the current trends, solutions and offering
advice on installation and maintenance.
“As an end user, we have to be discerning and
trust in our relationship with our integrator to help
us find not only the newest technology, but solutions
that work for us.”
The solutions at Bankers Life Fieldhouse seemed
to work pretty well for Stanley Security as they also
have become a corporate sponsor of the Pacers.
“We also are very fortunate to be able to go over
to the Discovery Center and see first-hand the new
technology and solutions,” Ball said. “We’re able to
talk about the future while holding the equipment
in our hands.
“We also see other groups within the Pacers/
[Bankers Life] Fieldhouse organization that want
to capitalize on the products we are using for security.
The current trend is for dual use of many
products. Our marketing group wants to be able to
count people, watch them and ascertain the dwell
time in certain areas. Because we take tickets to enter
the fieldhouse, we want to know how well the
people queue is working and if there are backups
in getting fans into the game.”
This year will be a busy one, not only for the
security staff at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, but also
for the integrators. This year’s wish list for the
fieldhouse includes a visitor management system
so they are able to track visitors. Ball and his team
plan on replacing many analog cameras with IP
video surveillance cameras, and installing sensors
in the retail areas to help determine how many
people come in and how many leave the premises.
They also are installing metal detection systems to
conform to NBA mandates that all arenas will have
walk-through magnetometers.
Bankers Life Fieldhouse officials also worked
with their integrators on beta testing more biometrics
solutions, including the EyeLock solution that
recognizes a person as they approach the device,
allowing for quicker pass-through.
While the company boasts integrators nationwide,
the organization also focuses on key verticals
within the security industry. The company has also
patterned the Discovery Center to reflect various
verticals, and the solutions integrators use. For instance,
retail security seems to have hit its stride in
recent months. Stanley integrators work as trusted
advisors in this industry to provide comprehensive
solutions. They often introduce traditional and audio
intrusion systems, video surveillance and monitoring.
They also address time and attendance and
real-time locating system (RTLS) asset tracking.
“We understand the needs of retailers and we
have experience in developing and implementing
a customized solution,” Stockwell said. “We realize
that within the retail industry, people are looking
for powerful solutions for loss prevention, asset
protection, hold-up and duress response. We want
to take the lead and be the trusted source.”
Because the world of security is constantly
changing, security requirements also are increasingly
demanding and becoming more complex. Stanley
integrators do not offer their own products in every
aspect of equipment, but they do partner with the
industry’s leading product suppliers and manufacturers,
offering a world-class, integrated solution.
“We never forget what matters most to our
customers,” Stockwell said. “Our primary focus is
making the security staff’s job easier as security
needs evolve. We also focus on making sure our
team of integrators is well-trained and certified
to represent the products, their installation ability
and to provide service long after the contracts
are signed.
This article originally appeared in the issue of .